Reduce, reuse, recycle is taking on new meaning at our Kénogami paper mill these days as the mill puts into action a cradle-to-cradle system that focuses on turning one man’s trash into another’s treasure – that is taking a waste product and converting it into a valuable input for another operation or industry.
Sludge produced as a by-product to the paper making process is rich in nitrogen and phosphorous, which just so happen to be two of the most important nutrients for growing plants.
Dehydrating and pressing more than 90% of this waste product turns it into useful fertilizer for farmers and diverts more than 20,000 metric tons of sludge from landfills each year, all while making sure our fresh produce is tasty as can be.
Who exactly is getting the good stuff?
Approximately 30 farmers located within 20 kilometers of the Kénogami paper mill are receiving deliveries year-round to apply to their potatoes, corn and fodder crops.
The fertilizer cakes are produced several times a year under strict regulations to confirm they contain the right balance of nutrients for these specific farms and also to ensure that the cakes don’t contain contaminants over permitted levels.
At the end of the day, Resolute is proud to be supporting neighboring businesses like farming and, at the same time, to have found an effective way to further reduce our environmental footprint.
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[…] isn’t Resolute’s only foray into farming, as many of our operations transform Pulp and Paper Waste into Food by making a high quality fertilizer from operation waste that is used at nearby […]